The church is healthiest when everyone is using their gifts for the mutual edification of God’s people. God empowers his people with spiritual gifts to equip them in their service to him. Paul taught the church in Corinth to pray for spiritual gifts, asking specifically for the “higher” gifts so that the church might be effective in its witness to the world.Įvery Christian has a role to play within God’s divine plan. These gifts are given by God to those whom he chooses. These gifts are reflections of God’s grace expressed through individuals by the power of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 are gifts of grace, given by God to encourage the church. Peter speaks of spiritual gifts in two broad categories - speaking for God and serving God which are often seen as the primary responsibilities of two offices within the church - elders who teach Christian doctrine to build up the church, and deacons who serve God and others. When people are not operating in all five strategic ministries the church begins to stagnate: capitulating to secular culture, becoming insular by withdrawing from the world, losing its zeal for spiritual practices and falling into heresy. People who serve in these roles equip other believers to carry out God’s mission in the world by advancing the gospel to unreached people groups (apostles), calling Christians to repent of their sins and to live for Christ (prophets), sharing the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus (evangelists), caring for the spiritual needs of God’s people (pastors) and teaching Christian doctrine (teachers). Some refer to these gifted leaders as the five fold ministries of the church. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul states that Jesus gave gifted people to the church to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
They are contrary to the fruit of the flesh that result when people live to satisfy their own selfish desires apart from God. The fruit of the Spirit are Christian virtues that demonstrate the life of Christ through faithful followers of Jesus. The apostle Paul taught that spiritual fruit was produced in followers of Jesus when they repented of sin and submitted their lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The early church believed that these same gifts of the Spirit were imparted to followers of Jesus at baptism, enabling our devotion to God. Isaiah prophesied that the Spirit of the Lord would rest upon the messiah, empowering him with spiritual gifts to fulfill God’s mission. The first mention of spiritual gifts is in the book of Isaiah. God equips every Christian with gifts of the spirit to enable their devotion to God and to build up the church for Christian service. The list of Bible verses on gifts of the Spirit below help us to understand the role we play within the body of Christ.
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